I was just thinking of all the things that I hate when I'm watching a Flash cartoon or playing a Flash game on NG. These are things that I see all the time, and I think they need to be addressed. So I've compiled a list of the most common offenses, and I'm wondering if anyone else here feels the same way. And if anyone thinks I'm just generally bashing, I can easily provide examples of what I mean.
Pacing.
I can't count the number of cartoons I've seen where they're just paced too slowly. Animations that should be a minute long instead drag on to 4 or 5 minutes of dead air. Jokes that could be funny are ruined by bad timing and overlong pauses. Editing and timing is a hard skill to master, but I wish more animators would pay more attention to it. It's especially ironic because the target NG audience would probably prefer something fast-paced. Plus shorter, faster-paced animations mean less work for the animator.
Voice acting.
Most people are not actors. I cringe when I'm watching a great animation being brought down by flat, lifeless voice acting. There are many good voice actors on NG, there's even a club for them. I wish more animators would look them up, especially younger ones. There's nothing worse than hearing a 13-year-old voice coming out of an adult character.
Intros.
Why does everything have to be a __________ Production? And why do intros and opening credits have to take up the first two minutes of a cartoon? Either include an option to skip past the credits, or shorten them. It's getting ridiculous. It's also related to the previous pacing issue.
Mario.
I'll admit, I enjoy sprite-based animations, and some of the Mario cartoons I've seen are easily among the best of NG. But now it's getting very old. Everyone and their mother is coming out with their own Mario cartoon. The stories are always the same, and so are the sprites. And this is a shame because there are so many different stories from different games that could be told. I'm waiting to see some really good cartoons based on Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Land 2, or maybe even Super Mario Kart. People still love Mario, so let's see something new!
Public domain games.
Nobody wants to see yet another version of Asteroids with different graphics. I don't know why people bother to submit stuff like this.
Anime.
I'm not the biggest fan of the anime style, so it's annoying to see everyone copying it. Anime is not the be-all and end-all of animation. Instead of imitating anime, why not try to create original character designs, or at least something different? I just want to see more originality on NG, that's all.
End Credits.
Written by SameName.
Animated by SameName.
Directed by SameName.
Music by SameName.
Voices by SameName.
Produced by SameName.
Catering by SameName.
This stopped being funny a long time ago. Please, no more insanely long credits with the same name in it!
Good Animation, Bad Story.
I hate seeing beautiful animation go to waste on a bad or stupid story, or vice-versa. I really wish more people would collaborate on projects and try to find the best of both worlds. There are many people out there with great ideas, and many, many brilliant animators. They just need to get together. We need some kind of match-making service. :)
Stick Figures.
Yes, stick figures are easy to create. And yes, there have been a lot of great stick-related animations in the past (Stick RPG, The Battlefield, Xiao Xiao). But, like Mario movies, they are all becoming the same. Originality, please!
Spelling.
Some people are not the best spellers. But if you're going to have a lot of text or subtitles in your animation, double-check your spelling! There are so many places on the internet to go to check your spelling and grammar. You can even ask other NG users to check it for you. It's embarrassing to see an otherwise great animation be marred by spelling errors.
These are my major pet peeves, and I wonder if anyone else has any.